2010 NYS 4-H Shooting Sports
Banquet & Auction Report

A record attendance of 311 supporters gathered at the Holiday Inn in Saratoga Springs, NY on April 17, 2010 for the 11th Annual NYS 4-H Shooting Sports Recognition Banquet & Auction.  The NYS 4-H Shooting Sports Banquet & Auction is an annual event that celebrates the accomplishments of volunteers, staff and educational programs while raising the vast majority of funding needed to operate and continue this important statewide 4-H program.  Thanks to many generous donations, excellent sponsors, outstanding product support, and highly supportive attendees, the 2010 Banquet & Auction was the most successful event NYS 4-H Shooting Sports has held to date.  

When the doors opened at 4:00 PM on April 17, an anxious crowd had already gathered to begin taking part in the games, start bidding on silent auction items and look over the extensive offering of live auction items.  This year’s Diners’ Delight game offered an exceptional selection of local eateries and other long-time favorite games continued to be a big part of the evening’s success.  Several new games were also added for 2010, including one created by Carvers for Conservation featuring numbered miniature duck decoys where the holder of the winning decoy number received a life-sized woodduck decoy.   In another new game, Lucky Sevens, themed objects were scattered throughout the event leading to additional prizes for the winner of those items that were linked to this year’s themed objects.  All of the games sold out quickly and were highly successful.

The Live Auction featured an African Photo Safari, for the first time, compliments of Trailblazers Friends of NRA.  Jack and Charlene Mazur, two long-time 4-H volunteers and current key NYS 4- H Shooting Sports instructors, were the winning bidders and are looking forward to a great new adventure in Africa. 

Other Live Auction highlights included the 2010 NYS 4-H Shooting Sports Knife of the Year brought to us through the continued support and dedicated efforts of Dave Baron, Baron Technology and Wally Gardner, Canal Street Cutlery.   Selected by instructor sportsmen, this year’s Knife of the Year was a traditional single bladed trapper model.  Also featured, were a stunning painting on turkey feathers by artist Deborah Brosen and an impressive Rifle Package donated by Mike Miller, Republican Assembly Sportsmen’s Coordinator and Denise Sheehan, former DEC Commissioner, among the nights many great auction items.

Our 2010 Artist of the Year was Photographer Joseph Rudd of Scotia, NY, who passed away in 2009.   Joe’s outstanding nature and landscape photography can be seen online at Choose2See Photography .

Kenyon Simpson received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the awards presentation portion of the evening.  Bob Soldivera of Crosman, George Franke of Safari Club International, and Bill Schwerd, New York 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator, highlighted Kenyon’s lifelong dedication to promoting the shooting sports and especially his many mentoring and youth education accomplishments.   

This year’s National Business Supporter Award was presented to Mayville Engineering, Mayville, Ohio.  John Aiken & John’s Outdoor Sports, Queensbury, NY received the Regional New York State Business Supporter Award for 2010.  The recipient of the 2010 4-H Shooting Sports National Committee Award was Conrad Arnold at the University of Maryland.

Individual Recognition recipients included Colleen Kimball-Lee, Saratoga County, who received the 2010 Challenge of Excellence 3 Year Award, Dan Shockey, Sullivan County, the 2010 recipient of the Challenge of Excellence Staff Award and Michael Bodnar, Washington County, who received the 2010 Special Recognition Volunteer Award.

Congratulations to our Webmaster, Trish Blassingame, of Atomic Web Katz web designs and services for receiving the NYS 4-H Shooting Sports 2010 Special Recognition Staff Award.

A complete list of the 2010 NYS 4-H Shooting Sports Award Winners is available here. For a listing of all present and past year award winners please click here.

Details and location of the 2011 NYS 4-H Shooting Sports Banquet and Auction are forthcoming.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make the 2010 NYS 4-H Shooting Sports Banquet & Auction a huge success!!!

To view photos from the 2010 NYS 4-H Shooting Sports Banquet & Auction … click here!